VISIT THE EXAMINERS BLOG

http://getaheadocrmedia.blogspot.com/

THEORY AFTER JANUARY

This part of the exam contains two questions both worth 25marks each.

EVALUATION OF PRODUCTION:

Describe and evaluate your skills development over the course of your production work

Identify one production and evaluate it

Concentrate on the following:
Digital technology
Research and planning

WORK STARTING IN JANUARY

MEDIA AND COLLECTIVE IDENTITY - During the holidays (I use this term loosely as it is clearly not a holiday when you are studying for A levels) look out of any British films or documentaries.

HOW DOES CONTEMPORARY MEDIA REPRESENT NATIONS, REGIONS, AND ETHNIC/SOCIAL/COLLECTIVE GROUPS OF PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS?

We will be looking closely at Britain and how it is represented in the media.

EVALUATION

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY TEXTS

Describe which visual codes you have chosen and how you want them to create meanings to your audience by reading all these signs - basis of semiotics that you did last year.

How does your audience respond to these? Engages them, creates desire, appeals in what way to male and female audiences, Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

EDITING - how have you edited your work to show that meaning is apparent to the viewer?
Choices of edits and transitions, titles, fonts etc all need to be justified, how do you create tension and pace?

Key terms

The examiner needs to see almost instantly that you are a media studies student. You can signpost him to all your thought processes by using capital letters. For example during your evaluation you can tell him how useful all your research was.

In my film trailer I adhered to the conventions of a horror trailer by using editing techniques similar to another contemporary horror film "Drag me to hell". I intended to engage my audience by using a real story as this plays upon the fears of the audience similar to other psychological horrors such as "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".

Narrative: key words
visual codes, audio codes, motif, equilibrium, enigma codes, storytelling, narrative devices, sequences

ANCILLARY TASKS

Try to give examples of other CD covers, magazine front covers or screen shots of webpages where you have been influenced. The more examples you offer the more research you have done.

MADNESS CONCERT

I recently visited a concert and found myself concentrating on the lighting effects. I now realise how important all the technical elements of a performance are and I took them for granted before.

MORE COMMANDMENTS FOR REFLECTIVE WRITING

Try to relate your work to the "real media". Give clear examples of how you have been influenced? For example: codes and conventions you researched.

1. HOW WERE THE CREATIVE DECISIONS YOU MADE INFORMED BY INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE?
2. HOW WERE THE CREATIVE DECISIONS YOU MADE INFORMED BY THEORETICAL UNDERSTANDING?
3. HOW COULD YOU BEGIN TO EVALUATE THE PROCESS AND PROGRESS YOU MADE?
4. HOW COULD YOU RELATE YOUR MEDIA TO THE "REAL MEDIA" AT MICRO LEVEL REFERRING TO INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES?
5. HOW WERE YOUR DECISIONS INFLUENCED BY YOUR AUDIENCE?
6. CHOOSE RELEVANT MICRO EXAMPLES TO RELATED TO MACRO REFLECTIVE THEMES
7. BINARY OPPOSITIONS - YOUR MEDIA PRODUCTS WILL NOT EITHER FOLLOW OR CHALLENGE THEY WILL DO BOTH.
8. WHAT IS BROADER MEDIA CULTURE?
9. WHAT IS A METADISCOURSE?
10. QUOTE PARAPHRASE AND REFERENCE.

Reflective writing

• Not feeling so smug now am I?

I was quite pleased with the way I managed to integrate my key terms into my blog today. However what I have just realised is that my GRANMa is now upside down. If only I had thought to post my blogs in a different way the blood might not rush to her head. But the examiner doesn't really need to know this so this is more of a diary now and not a piece of reflective writing that means anything.

MEDIA LANGUAGE

Many of these will overlap but you can use this section to tie up any old loose ends.

Camera movements, editing, shots, colour, lighting, text, fonts, titles.=?

NARRATIVE

How do your images tell a story? How are your audience able to "read" your text? This is largely due to the sequencing of events and EDITING. Think about the choice of transitions and the pace of the moving images.

The media language really helps to tell the story to the audience. Think about special effects and remember the importance of sound.

Think about applying some film theory. Todorov, Propp, Binary Oppositions???

AUDIENCE

How does your text appeal to your audience? What devices have you included to engage them?

Is your text aimed at a predominantly male viewer/voyeur?

The audience ultimately "buy" your product so the examiner needs to know you are aware of their importance.

REPRESENTATION

Who has been represented, how and in what way? This could link to Media language using vocabulary such as: types of shots,

cropping

mise en scene

use of colour, costume

HAVE YOU USED STEREOTYPES AS A QUICK WAY OF GETTING YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS TO THE AUDIENCE?

GENRE

Think about the research you carried out on existing texts. What visual codes exist in these texts and how do they appeal.

Have you adhered to them, subverted them and how have your audience reacted to them?

Pre-existing material of how a happy family should look shaped how I took this photograph. I closely cropped this photograph to focus on the faces of the youngsters. The proxemics of the individuals represents their undying love for each other. I chose black and white images to hide the signs of ageing in the oldsters.

MEANINGS AND RESPONSES

How have you created meanings in your products?

How have you used existing codes and conventions? OR have you subverted any?

What responses have you been given - feedback?

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

How have you included all your research?

Blogs are visual, and interactive. Have you used other blogs for inspiration?

Creative decisions

How did you make those all important creative decisions?

EVALUATION

Remember the Ten Commandments for reflective writing.

1. Write about what you did - what choices did you make? How were you guided by existing media products.

e.g. I realised that modern audiences were attracted by unusual psychological narratives so we decided to include lots of enigmas in our trailer.

e.g. I was unsure of how long to make my trailer so I watched Blair Witch project trailer to give me some inspiration.